Beer costs four times less in Russia than England

Football may be coming home, but Russia definitely wins when it comes to the price of a pint

We'll drink to that (istock)

England’s dramatic victory over Colombia last night wasn’t the only win for England fans currently soaking up the jubilant atmosphere in Russia.

A new investigation into the price of beer in all eight countries through to this year’s FIFA World Cup quarter-finals reveals that a beer in Russia costs a mere 83p, while Swedes pay as much as £5.16 for one back home.

The study by travel money specialist FairFX took data from cost of living website Numbeo to compare the disparity between countries.

At home, England fans aren’t as fortunate, however, with the third most expensive pints out of all the quarter-finalist countries. The average beer costs £3.50, almost four times as much as an equivalent drink in Russia.

FairFX's analysis of the pound’s performance against the Russian Ruble reveals that the pound is up 12 per cent since January this year, meaning that England fans can get an extra £54 worth of currency for every £500 exchanged – the equivalent of 65 pints.

This should come as a relief to visitors following The Independent’s exclusive discovery earlier this year that hotels in Russia were hiking up prices by as much as 18,000 per cent to capitalise on the flood of football fans entering the country.

The research found that a guesthouse in Kaliningrad was charging £3,125 for a three-person “superior apartment” for the night of England’s final Group match against Belgium. A triple room at the Meridian Guesthouse normally costs £17, representing a rise of 18,282 per cent.

A dormitory bed at the Kaliningrad In Like Hostel was priced at £55 on the night of the opening game, six times the normal rate.

With prices like these, England fans need all the financial help they can get.

Average cost of a pint in quarter-finalist countries

Sweden: £5.16

France: £4.42

England: £3.50

Belgium: £3.35

Uruguay: £1.92

Croatia: £1.80

Brazil: £1.35

Russia: £0.83